Holistic Process Simulation for Facility Design

A leading pharmaceutical company embarked on an ambitious €400 million greenfield project to build a cutting-edge multiproduct facility. Designed to incorporate basic fractionation, purification and fill-and-finish operations, the facility was intended to set new standards in terms of flexibility and efficiency.

By implementing a holistic facility simulation with INOSIM Insight during the basic and detailed design phases, ZETA increased engineering effectiveness and provided the project with a tool for data-driven decision-making. The customer reported cost savings of over €40 million following a late concept change informed by simulation insights, with a significant impact on commissioning strategy, the WFI system, buffer scheduling, and other areas.

The plant’s complexity, with its intricate interdependencies, stringent regulatory requirements and detailed engineering needs, posed significant challenges. Initially, the client relied on a competitor’s simulation tool to validate their concept design and develop production scheduling strategies. However, it quickly became evident that the tool was not fit for purpose in terms of size, scope, or complexity. The simulation results lacked clarity and actionable insights, creating a significant impediment. That’s when INOSIM Insight entered the picture.

Under tight deadlines and high pressure, the INOSIM team developed an all-encompassing model of the facility. Unlike its predecessor, INOSIM offered a holistic and realistic simulation environment capable of modeling complex batch processes with all their dependencies – utilities, cleaning systems, buffer logistics, WFI generation, and more. Discrete event simulation with INOSIM enabled the seamless integration of all these interdependencies. As a result, simulation time was dramatically reduced from weeks to just hours when compared to the originally used Finite-Capacity-Scheduler.

One of the key advantages of integrating simulation during the design phase is the ability to assess changes in a data-driven and fact-based manner. Rapid scenario testing using the INOSIM model enabled a significant change in the concept to be made at a late stage in the project. Thanks to a simplified production process flow that maintained sufficient flexibility at maximum capacity, the customer saved approximately EUR 40 million in commissioning costs. The INOSIM Insight model also enabled further optimization opportunities across the facility. The model entails everything needed for the future implementation of INOSIM Foresight.